BJP staring at their defeat, playing mind game: TMC

Pushing the ongoing mind game with Mamata Banerjee a notch higher, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday advised the Bengal Chief Minister to publicly concede defeat and look for a constituency outside the State.

Referring to an earlier statement emanating from the Trinamool Congress that Mamata would challenge the Prime Minister from Varanasi and ricochet the TMC’s “outsider weapon” back on her, Modi said, “In anticipation of loss here, Didi is looking for a constituency outside the State … some of her advisers have advised her to contest from Varanasi for a passage to the Lok Sabha. There is a ship that goes from Haldia to Varanasi. She is welcome to contest from Varanasi but there the people have a big heart … as big as that of the people of Bengal … she will not be called an ‘outsider’ there.”

Taking a dig at the Chief Minister for often getting irritated by Jai Shri Ram slogans, he also reminded that “the people of Varanasi wear ‘tilaks’ and often chant Jai Shri Ram … so what will happen to Didi if she is among such people … will she get angry at them?”

The Chief Minister has often courted controversy challenging people shouting Jai Shri Ram at her presence.

Attacking Mamata for using Singur as a political ladder to win power in Bengal Modi said, “Singur (movement against the Tata Nano factory) was used for political ascendency… after the political purpose was achieved this area was left in the darkness… today there is neither any industry in Singur nor any job. The people of this place have been left on their fate.”

The Prime Minister was speaking at a rally at Haripal the adjacent constituency of Singur in Hooghly district.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s repeated allegations about a “partisan Election Commission”, the Prime Minister said that one who talked of Khela Hobey (game is in the offing) but pointed fingers at the umpire (ECI) it should be considered that “it is Khela Shesh (game is over) for that person.”

Referring to the Chief Minister’s claim that the BJP was paying peopleto join its rallies in large number, Modi said that her statements insulted the self-respecting people of Bengal. “Didi is saying that the people are taking cash to attend BJP rallies,” but she has forgotten that “Bengalis are self-respecting people who could not be purchased by the mighty British even… Didi, you have insulted thepeople of Bengal with this statement… they will give you a befitting reply.”

The Chief Minister who was addressing a rally about 50 km away in Howrah hit back asking the people to remain on guard against the saffron forces who would divide Bengal. “BJP wants to divide Bengal...

These people want to end Bengal, its language, its culture,” Banerjeesaid requesting the minority brothers and sisters not to allow their vote to be divided between the TMC and the Indian Secular Front floated by Abbas Siddique.

“There is a party from Hyderabad funded by the BJP … that party has joined hands with a person in Bengal and jointly are trying to divide the minority votes to help t he BJP … please don’t allow your vote tobe divided,” she said.

On the repeated claims by the BJP leadership that the party was on itsway to victory Banerjee said that her party was winning in Bengal and asked her supporters to remain prepared for the victory ahead. “We arewinning comfortably in Nandigram comfortably. So remain prepared forthe victory ahead,” she said.

Meanwhile, in a related development the Trinamool Congress has raisedthe issue of EVM tampering. Senior TMC leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said that his party was concerned about an incident (in Assam) of EVM being changed by the BJP to ensure victory.

He also referred to the alleged “mind game” being played by the BJP leadership to pep up the supporters at a time when the party was staring a defeat. “We have information that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda met in the late night on Friday to assess the situation in Bengal … they have

reports that the BJP has not done well in the earlier two rounds of elections so they have decided to add more spice to their process of lying to the people so that the party workers remained enthused and motivated, Sinha said.